A chain saw is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,179 wherein the sprocket wheel is fixed with respect to a hollow wheel of the transmission. The hollow wheel has an internal gear that meshes with a pinion on the drive shaft. If the chain saw is inadvertently driven into the wood to be cut with the front end of the cutter bar, the chain saw will be thrown back toward the operator in what is known as the kickback effect. The chain saw will kick back through a relatively large angle whereby a substantial danger is presented to the person operating the chain saw.